life after oblivion, the dragon rampent

Chapter one

Retern of the dawn star


Six months since oblivion had been defeated, and nothing much had actually changed in Tamrial. They still had no emperor, evil still existed in one form or another, and those who had died in the course of the struggle were now fading in to history and legend. But at least the legions of deardra had gone, along with those hell gates, all closed in a blink of an eye after a battle of titanic wings, fangs, blood and sacrifice.

Seren found herself returned to the capital, to a life she had sworn to forgo, but despite wanting to avoid trouble for the rest of her life she seemed to find it where ever she went. Perhaps it’s just that she could see it where others could not. Or that she was the only one brave enough to do something about it when she did.

And so hear she was sat patiently waiting for an audience with chancellor Octato. Truthfully she was exhausted, but she had not even paused to change her riding clothes or washed off the dust from the road that clung to her hair and face before coming to report. Sleep could wait for now, she needed to talk to the chancellor before the next council session, the sooner the council had the news the sooner they could do something about it. And the sooner she could be done with it.

Finally she heard footsteps on the stone floor, and Seren stood as the chancellor appeared, draped in rich velvet, and immaculately groomed. Once Seren would have been awe struck at such a display of wealth, but she had seen so much now that it didn’t faze her at all. However now as champion of the emperor she was unsure whether to bow her head to the old politician or not, so she opted for a belated and hesitant curtsy.

The old man chuckled, ‘There is no need to bow your head to me champion.’

‘You’re still my elder.’

‘Such lack of vanity is refreshing in one so young and famous.’ The old man smiled.

Seren looked sheepishly down at her stained clothing. The past year she had lost a lot of care for her appearance, when the world is going to end its more important to report new developments on arrival than it was to be presentable. Apparently she was going to have to recall her etiquette.

‘Would you like a drink, or some food?’ the Chancellor offered, Seren shook her mahogany head. The old man sat down, lifting a hand to still her protest ‘Don’t lets stand on formality, eat something, have some wine, and then we will talk about these necromancers.’

He pointed to a platter of pastries, and a silver pitcher of wine. As Seren sat down he pored two goblets of wine, and set one down beside her. ‘You haven’t changed or washed the grime of the road from yourself. The young never seem to know how to look after themselves properly. So one would assume that you have not eaten today either.’ He sighed.

‘I haven’t,’

‘Eat.’ He smiled, and Seren a little self consciously took up a pastry, at her first bite she realized how hungry she really was and upon devouring her fist then happily consumed a few more. The Councilor seemed content to watch her and sip his wine. Ocato studied the woman across from him; he had adopted her in some from following the victory, he knew somehow she was to be an element in the solving of the most recent problems. So he encouraging her to ask him for help, though in reality he found she actually needed very little in the way of help. But he had felt disappointed that she had chosen to retire from public life.

However her regular messages from Her had been very enlightening, he had been surprised at how busy she kept herself. Of how many influential people she could gain audience with. And her keen and quick grasp of situations, instinctively seeing right to the heart of any matter. He could see why the blades had used her during the war against Oblivion, she had a remarkable ability to get things done, or persuade those who could.

She was a small woman, but not unusually so, average for a Breton, and she was pretty by anyone’s standards, with high cheekbones, and porcalin skin, that was nicely contarsted by her rich mahogany hair. Her eyes were unusual, gray, but depending on the light they seemed to reflect colors nearby, but when she was angry he noticed they flashed silver. He looked over her profile, she seemed to glow with an inner radiance, as if she was always iluminated by moon light, her name suited her he mused, Seren, the dawn star.

She had a way with words, a mages deep understanding of meaning and a pleasant soft richness to her voice; he suspected she would have a good singing voice. On her one hand he noticed two rings, one set with a black gem, Laowin work, the other a mans ring too big for her fingers, but when is slipped round he glimpsed the imperial crest, he recognized that ring from somewhere, but he couldn’t place it.

‘Those are interesting rings Lady Seren.’

She looked down at them for a moment, struggling to finish her mouth full, ‘They were gifts.’ She replied and left it at that.

Once Seren had finished her meal the chancellor addressed her, ‘Now what else have you discovered Lady Seren? Your reports from Hackdirt were very disturbing.’

‘The towns people are a bigger problem than anyone had anticipated.’ She replied grimly. ‘Is anything going to be done about the necromancers, and this distructive dedra worship?’

The old man templed his hands in front of him, considering his reply, ‘I’m not sure what can be done about Hackdirt, if the people are as hostile as you detailed in your missive, I don’t think they will appreciate outside interference.’

‘Sadly I think you are right. It’s delicate, many are involved with the cult, or have family members who are, any one who is not are terrified of what might happen if they speak out against the heresy.’

The young woman’s eyes grew hard, ‘An inquisition backed by the imperial guard could be a solution, A part of me thinks that the only way to wipe out the evil would be to eradicate the place completely, but that’s just feeding whatever evil lives in that place, really the caves need to be studied to find out just what exactly is hiding there.’

The councilor considered the solution, ‘the mages guild has had dealings with the cults before, and perhaps the council should put them in charge of an inquisition.’

‘No. Well perhaps!’ the girl growled.

Ocato looked quizzically at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

Seren blushed at her outburst. ‘I’m sorry, I just don’t think the mages guild can handle this, well not alone at least.’

Octavo saw that Seren was not telling him the whole truth, ‘There’s more to it than that though isn’t there.’

Octavo watched as the woman’s face darkened, she looked around and spoke quietly, afraid to be overheard ‘My time in the mages guild showed me although many of them are experts in cults they are for the most part academics, and it would be dangerous, to dangerous to send them. Also they can be very high handed, i know the new head of the guild he has his hands full as it is..’

‘I see. But the mages guild will be angry if the council should interfere with what they will see as a there jurisdiction.’

‘I thought the council is the ultimate jurisdiction?’

‘Oh, if only that were so.’ Octavo chuckled but with no real mirth, ‘I fear that government is far more complicated than that and without an emperor…’

They sat in silence for a moment, and Ocato saw the unguarded pain in the young woman’s eyes. It was no secret that the champion had loved Martin Septum and that she blamed herself for his death. It was no secret either that his death could not have been prevented, he wondered if any one had told her that.

‘Lady Seren, nothing you could have done would have saved them, it was the gods will.’ He said kindly.

‘I know it’s just…. ‘

‘What child?’

The young woman looked up at the councilor, his old kind face inspired confidence and yet ‘I can’t talk about this I’m sorry.’

‘I understand.’

The silence stretched between them for a while, before Octavo cleared his throat, ‘May I ask, Lady Seren why you have returned? I expect given time and the jurisdiction too, your brother and yourself could deal with this problem on your own. But I understand if you would like some time to yourself you haven’t had a very plesent time, been arrested and then all this trouble with oblivion...’

Seren flushed, shocked that he knew anything of her past, a past she thought had been obliterated with the war against oblivion ‘How did you... ’

‘I knew your mother, and I heard rumors, then when I saw you I knew whose daughter you had to be.’ The old man explained. ‘I suppose you think that after your last experience your brother and yourself might be better out of these dealings, lest you get yourself in to trouble again. But I can assure you if you want the council to grant you the liberty to do as you see fit, and deal with this problem. To be honest your position alone as champion would protect you from most recriminations any way.’

Ocato awaited her answer, and he was surprised by the honesty and conviction behind it, the champion really was a remarkable woman.

‘I didn’t want to have to come back, but I don’t have any choice. If I have to fight it might tern in to bloodbath. And I have already had my fill of bloud and revenge, bitter as it was. I had thought of going back to my old home in High rock, rebuild from the ashes of my old life, but with all I have seen and done…. I feel responsible, responsible for Tamrial. But all the same I want no part of this fight, not this time. I didnt used to beleve in the gods, but with all i have seen... well, i cant say i dont, but knowing something is true id very difrent from blindly folowing it. I want no more to do with them, i just want a quiet life. I will no longer just be a pawn. I don’t want to be responsible for other people’s problems any more; I want to find a life of my own and this is why I’m asking for your help. .’

He looked up at the astonishing woman, and thought she would make a good politician one day if she could be persuaded to be before taking a scroll out of his volumous robe. But he was gravely disappointed that she refused to lead the cause once more. But he supposed she had done enough for them all, she was perhaps the only person who could say she owed no one. His eyes skimmed over the missive, before he set it down.

‘Now, it say’s hear that you have been successful in getting the counts and countesses to aide you in dealing with the necromancers in there own lands, Well expect for summer isle.’

‘Yes.’

‘Even the count of Skingrad?’

‘Oh, yes, he is a close friend of mine, and not very fond of necromancers either.’

‘I’m impressed, rumor has it he is virtually imposable to gain audience with.’

Seren smiled and rested her chin on her hand, ‘Hmm, there is some truth in that rumor.’ But she quickly grew serious once again, ‘he was the one who advised me to seek the council’s aid in this matter. The Counts and countesses can only do so much, but without a concerted effort from the center to wipe this heresy out once and for all, we will never be rid of it, it will just go deeper under ground to emerge once again. What is needed is a proper inquisition, using the imperial guard, the outlying settlements like the imperial reserve have been lawless and ignored for two long now. Hackdirt and there vile heresy is a good example of what happens when there is weekness in the center. And it would be unwise just to go rpund kiling heretics, it only builds hate, when those who have reletives killed go looking for revenge.’

‘I will bring this matter up in the council meeting tomorrow, but this may take time’ replied Octavo.

‘I’m not sure that we have much time.’ Seren said with frustration.

‘The necromancers have existed among us for centuries, I doubt they will do anything two rash now.’ The councilor soothed, it was the wrong thing to say as Seren’s eyes burned with a hot silver flame of outrage and indignation.

‘This situation needs to be dealt with! There is something different about them now, it has the fealing of a deardric conspiracy, and with the empire in such a week position can we really risk them making a move against us?’

She sounds like an empress, Ocato thoughet and rose an hopefull eyebrow. ‘With out an emperor to drive these sorts of measures through, these things will take time Lady Seren, be patient, they will be dealt with. Unless you wish to deal with them?’

The young woman drew in a sharp breath. The counciler and the champion gased stedaly at each outher. 'May i be excused.'

Seren was excused and she walked angrily to her room in the imperial palace. Life after the war seemed to be as much of a challenge as Oblivion itself, and far more complicated. During the battle against Dagon she had simply cut through problems, now she was forced to untangle impossibly complicated situations.

She found the woman’s bathing chambers, and soon emerced herself in a hot tub of scented water. As she worked soap through her hair she began to contemplate her situation. Even after her parent’s murder, she had not felt as lost and miserable as she did now. Leoff too had been depressed during the relative calm that had settled over Tamrial following the oblivion gates closing; the breath of relief following the chaos. However she had realized they were depressed for very different reasons, when Leoff’s spirits picked up when they were recruited to help with the necromancer problem once it spilled outside the guild, the atack on bruma been the last straw. As well as the not entirely unconected events at hackdirt.

For Leoff fighting was his world, and after fighting the legions of oblivion, arena fights no longer cut it. Leoff had been such a gentle child, and now he only seemed to find joy in the slaughter, she often wondered what he would have turned out like if she had not sought to avenge her parent’s murders, and instead simply lived out there lives. It was another thing to add to her burdened conscious.

Seren unlike her brother took no joy in conflict, or challange, she didn’t miss Oblivion one little bit, but in those battles she had lost many she did miss, and one she had loved. She had welcomed the rest bite, but had found no peace. A when the necromancers had retuned to filth up the world again it had filled her with an unbearable anger. How dare they threaten the empire? The depth of her conviction had scared her, and so she sought to find others who could deal with this problem, as she couldn’t ignore it but if she got to closely involved she might end up like her brother.

Since she could remember she had purpose to her life, revenge, first killing the witches she blamed for her mothers death, then killing the man who really had killed her mother, and then fighting for the empire, and now with no hair to the imperial throne like so many others she was cut adrift. She still hadn’t atoned for killing her own kind. Perhaps that’s why she sought out trouble, in dealing with others problems she didn’t need to look to closely at her own pain, for she never had the time to.

Life after Oblivion it seemed was going to be as much of a challage as oblivion was itself, and far more complicated. During the crisis she could cut through problems, now they had to be untangled.

Seren poured a bucket of clean water over herself, rinsing away the soap and the grime. If only our conscious could be cleaned as easily as our bodies she thought.